Building material and method of and apparatus for making same



Sept. 3, 1935.

A. ANDERSON ATTORNEY 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 21, 1951 Sept. 3, 1935. A. ANDERSON 2,013,332

BUILDING MATERIAL AND METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING SAME Filed March 21, 1931 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR w l w m III (dir wl OM M NM Eula-Eli! i d/vv ul/e ATTORN EY Sept. 3, 1935. A. ANDERSON 2,013,332

BUILDING MATERIAL AND METHOD OE AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING SAME Filed March 21, 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR tflzjrazifiezziersazw ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 3, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BUILDDNG MATERIAL AND METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR, MAKING SAME Application March 21, 1931, Serial No. 524,399

8Claims.

This invention relates to composition building material and to a method of and apparatus for producing the same, and is especially directed to composition building material, which generally speaking, consists of a base or foundation of felted fabric saturated or impregnated with a waterproofing substance such as asphalt or similar bitumen, coated on one or both sides with a high melting point bitumen such as oxidized or blown asphalt, or similar weatherproof adhesive and having a layer of mineral granules such as of a building. Still more specifically, the invention is concerned with the production, and will be described in one of its adaptations for the manufacture, of material of this type formed in such a way as to produce when laid on the side wall of a building, the appearance of a brick wall.

. be exposed being coated with a layer of' asphalt The invention in one of its aspects is concerned with improvements in the manufacture of brick simulating material of composition form such as described in the application of Ralph W. B. Reade, Serial No. 499,477, according to which brick simulating effects are obtained by the use of strips offibrous felt impregnated with a waterproofing compound, the surface intended to or the like and surfaced with mineral grit. These strips are formed with transverse slots or cutouts to define tabs of a size representative of the size of bricks, the surfacing on the major portion of the exposed areas of the tabs being preferably a brick-covered coarse granular material such as crushed slate and the remaining area of the strip being surfaced with black or dark colored mineral. particles of considerably smaller size than the brick-colored granular material. The arrangement of the areas of different color is such that when the strips are properly applied in overlapping courses they will present the appearance of a brick wall by virtue of the relatively narrow lines of'dark colored mineral bordering or surrounding all sides of the brick colored tab portions.

In the manufacture of material of this type it has been difiicult to apply the difl'erently colored mineral granules to the parent sheet from which the strips are cut, so as to present a sharp and clear line of demarcation between the two differently colored areas. An object of the invention accordingly is to provide means whereby this desirable result may be accomplished.

Another object of the invention resides in the 5 improvement of this type of material whereby the tabs or exposed portions of the strip will be substantially thicker than the unexposed portions thereof and whereby to coordinate the thickness of the coating layer on the exposed and unexl posed parts of the strip with the differently sized granules that are embedded in these portions respectively.

In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated several aspects of the invention in an em- 15 bodiment thereof as adapted particularly for the manufacture of material to be laid upon the side walls of a building in simulation of a brick wall.

In these drawings,

Figure 1 illustrates conventionally and dia- 20 grammatically an arrangement of apparatus that may be employed in carrying out the invention;

Figure 2 is a plan view of part of the apparatus;

Figure 3 is a plan view of the sheet material illustrating the appearance thereof in successive stages of treatment according to the invention;

Figure 4, illustrates in cross-section, the successive stages of treatment as shown in Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary view of the sheet, in perspective at certain successive stages of treatment thereof;

Figure 6 is a magnified view in cross-section illustrating the application of surfacing material at one of the stages of the process;

Figure '7 is a magnified view in cross-section transversely through a portion of a finished strip produced in accordance with the invention;

Figure 8 is a plan view showing mechanism for. regulating the thickness of the coating material in accordance with the invention;

Figure 9 is a longitudinal section on line 9-9 of Figure 8;

Figure 10 is a front elevation of the doctoring mechanism;

Figures 11 and 12 are detailed views thereof;

Figure 13 is a view in perspective illustrating a phase of the process in which surfacing ma-'- terial is applied in narrow bands to the coated sheet;

Figure 14 is a front elevational view of a hopper mechanism that may be employed in conjunction with my invention;

Figure 15 is a cross-section taken along line l5-l5 of Figure 14; 55

Figure 16 is a perspective of the hopper shown in Figures 14 and 15;

Figure 17 is a fragmentary view, in perspective, of a sheet produced in accordance with the invention, prior to severance thereof into units.

Figure 18 is an illustration in perspective of a strip-produced in accordance with my invention.

accordance with the invention may comprise a general rectangular bodyhaving projections or tabs l0 spaced from each other by means of slots.

or recesses II. The entire area of the tabs extending from the butt edge of the strip to a distance slightly below the tops of the slots. is coated with a layer l2 of asphalt of suitable thickness having partially embedded therein granules l3 of suitable size and color. In order that the surfaced tab areas may closely simulate brick and for other purposes hereinafter described,

' there is preferably employed as a surfacing means for the brick colored areas, red, buff or other suitable colored mineral granules of such size that all the granules pass through a six mesh finer size than the granules I 3. The surfacingmaterial for this purpose may be of any suitable color representative of mortar and preferably comprises black mineral granules of such size that all the particles pass a 20 mesh screen and,

are retainedon a 100 mesh screen. As shown. the overall thickness, of the strip along the brick coloredareas thereof is noticeably greater than that of the remaining portions of the stripLdue conjointly to the difference in the thickness of the coating layer of these portions respectively, and to the diiferencein the size of the surfacing material correlated with the coating as described. Thus, the strip is characterized by its brick colored areas standing out in relief beyond the general plane of the remaining portions, to accentuate the appearance or simulation of brick and pointed mortar joints in a wall covered therewith. Moreover, by this construction a substantial reduction is effected in the amount of coating material required to produce a composition strip suitable for siding purposes.

Referring more in detail to the drawings, for

r a description of 'the process for making the article as above described a waterproof foundation or base such as an asphalt impregnated sheet of felted fabric indicated by the reference character S is fed over a roll 2| spirally wrapped with a ribbon of leather for constraining the sheet to- 'ward one side of a guide plate 22 adiustably se- --21 and 28 mounted therein one above the other,

the upper roll 21 being mounted as shown in As shown in Figure 18, the strip produoedin Figure 12 for adjustment in the frame towards ing mechanism, the lower face of the sheet is in contact with the periphery of the lower roll 28 and the coating on the top face is doctored by the conjoint action of the upper roll 21 and the arms 3| into longitudinally extending alternate thick and thin bands 32 and 33 respectively, surplus coating material falling into the tank 36. It will thus be seen that the arms 3| together with the roll 21 have the effect of a recessed roll or scraper for doctoring the asphalt into predetermined depths along predetermined areas widthwise of the sheet to form longitudinal channels or grooves.

Thereafter the coated sheet passes beneath hoppers 40 and 4| or other forms of feeding devices for applying surfacing material to the plastic coating. As shown in Figures 1 and 13 the first hopper 40, containing relatively fine grits of the desired color such as black mineral particles of such size for example that substantially all the particles pass a 20 mesh screen and are retained on a 100 mesh screen, is located forwardly of and preferably closely adjacent the doctoring mechani'sm. and is provided with a plurality of delivery spouts or apertures 43. From said spouts 43 separate streams of the relatively fine granules are showered on to the coated face ofthe sheet to provide a plurality of continuous, relatively narrow and parallel stripes or bands 44.

The spouts or apertures 43 of, the hoppen III are preferably so positioned in relation to thick'and thin bands of the coating material that these relatively narrow bands or stripes M are deposited on to the thin bands closely adjacent the shoulders formed at the Junctures between adjoining thick and-thin bands of coating. By this means, the flow of asphalt from the thicker to the thinner bands maybe prevented. The mineral for the stripes 44 is showered at such a rate as to preclude the same from being deposited upon the thicker bands of coating.

The sheet thus surfaced with the narrow bands of finely divided mineral grits then passes beneath a second or main hopper 4|, arranged to deliver surfacing material to the remaining or unsurfaced areas of the coating materiaL'.

The hopper 4| may be provided with a plural ity of partitions 45 spaced therein at predetermined intervals. The adjacent compartments defined by said partitions contain respectively, mineral of the same color and size grading as delivered from the hopper 40, and brick' or similarly colored granules, materially coarser than the dark colored mineral in intervening compartments. Red, bull or other brick colored granules that will pass a six mesh screen and be retained on an eighteen mesh screen may serve as the coarser granules for the specificembodiment of my invention. By virtue of the-compartment defining partitions, there is showered on to the sheet asdepicted in Figure 6 an apron or curtain of granules composed of alternate streams of the finely divided black particles to form the layer stripes 44. I

- Anyadmixture of the differently colored granules at the point-swhere the streams of finely divided dark colored granules meet the streams of relatively coarsebrick colored granules, will fall onto the previously surfaced narrow stripes 44, and hence will not adhere to the coating. By the arrangement as illustrated and described wherein a surfacing material of one of the desired colors is first deposited-in the form of a narrow band-adhering to the sheet, and subsequently depositing surfacing granules of-the same colorv to one side of the narrow-band, and other surfacing granules of some other desired color to the opposite side thereof, it becomes possible readilyto surface the sheet with adjoining bands of differently colored surfacing material and to obtain a sharp line of demarcation therebetween. This feature is of considerable importance in the practical manufacture of shingle strips of the type herein referred to, which are adapted to be used as a siding material wherein it is highly essential that a sharp, clear and straight line of demarcation be obtained between the brick colored areas of the strip and the mortar colored areas thereof.

After the surfacing material has been showered on to the sheet as described, the latter passes around an embedding roll 50 for pressing the granular particles into the coating and adjacent a hopper mounted adjacent said roll for applying talc or mica on to the back side of the sheet.

The direction of the sheet is reversed as it passes around embedding roll 50, the sheet being then led over a' cooling roll or rolls 52 and thence onto the cooling loopers 53.

When the direction of the sheet is reversed as it passes around the roll 5:! the excess grits fall off of the sheet, the differently colored granules flowing over the extended forward wall of the hopper 4i and being returned thereby to their respective compartments of the hopper, except that, such admixture of granules as may occur at the junction between the adjoining zones thereof is precluded from direct return to the hopper compartments. For this purpose notches 54 are formed at spaced intervals along the upper edge of the said wall of the hopper, each of said notches being located adjacent each of the partitions 45, and extending on opposite sides thereof.

By this arrangement the intermixed granules discharged from the sheet as it passes around the roll are caused to by-pass the hopper 4| and are delivered into a screw conveyor 55 located between the hopper and the roll 50. By suitable means, such as an endless cup conveyor connected to one end of the screw conveyor 60, the mixed grits are carried to an upper level where they'are separated, by virtue of their different size on a 20 mesh vibratory screen Bl, the red (coarser sized) granules being retained by the screen and discharged therefrom througha spout 62 and the black (finely divided) granules passing through the meshes of the screen and being discharged through the spout 63. If desired, the differently colored granules may be conveyed to the respective or appropriatecompartments of the hopper 4|.

From the loopers 53, the sheet may be wound intorollsor fed to a cutter where it is severed into shingle units or strips of the desired configuration and size. 7 v

I In order that the surfaced sheet may be severed without waste into shingle strips to be used as a brick siding material, a series of equispaced parallel, transverse slots are out along the bands 32 with the ends .of the slots preferably terminating a slight distance from the juncture of said bands and in the bands 33. Thereafter the sheet is slit longitudinally along the approximate center line of each of the bands that are intermediate the marginal bands, the slits ex tending along the bands 32 substantially midway the length of the slots. I Then the longitudinally slit sheet is severed transversely into shingle strips of appropriate size.

In order that the cutting operation may be accurately performed, it is essential that the position of the severing elements relative to the arrangement of the zones of difierent color and thicknesses as described be closely regulated or controlled within narrow limits. For this pur pose there isprovided a thonged roll II and a table 12, having a guide plate 13 adjustable thereon. This mechanism, which is similar in construction to the roll 2|, table 22 and guide plate 23, is located between the loopers 53 and appropriate severing mechanism, hereinbefore referred to as the cutter 10. By this arrangement, one longitudinal edge of the sheet is forced into guiding contact with the plate 13,

and by adjusting the position of this guide plate,

the proper feed of the sheet to the cutting mechanism, with respectto the arrangement of the zones of different colors and thicknesses, may be accurately controlled for the purpose described.

I claim as my invention:

1. In the method of producing composition building material, the steps comprising, coating 2. base with a waterproof adhesive, applying differently colored granules to the coating to form adjacent bands of predetermined different colors, embedding the. granules into the coating, and

separating the excess of the vdiiferently colored granules from the excess of a mixtu're'thereof.

2. In the method of producing composition building material, the steps comprising, coating a base with a waterproof adhesive, applying granules of different color and size to the coating in adjacent bands, embedding the granules into the coating, separating the excess of the differently colored granules from the excess of a mixture thereof, and separating from each other the different sized granules constituting said excess mixture. I

3. In the method of producing composition building material, the steps comprising, coating a base with a waterproof adhesive, applying differently colored granules to the coating to form adjacent bands of predetermined and different colors, embedding the granules into the coating, separating the excess of the differently colored granules from the excess of a mixture thereof and passing each excess to different points.

4. In the method of producing composition building material,'the steps comprising, coating a base with a waterproof adhesive, applying differently colored granules from separate sources of supply to the coating to form adjacent bands of different colors, embedding the granules into the coating, separating the excess of the differently colored granules from the. excess of a mixture thereof, and conducting the excess of each different color to one of said sources of sup- 5. In the method of producing composition building material, the steps comprising coating abase with a waterproof adhesive, applying differently colored granules from separate sources of supply to the coating to form adjacent bands of different colors, embedding the granules into the coating, separating the excess of the differently colored granules from the excess of a mixture thereof and conducting the excess granules of each difierent color to its original source of supply.

- 6. In the method of producing composition building material, the steps comprising, coating a base with a waterproof adhesive, applying differently colored granules from separate sources of supply to the' coating to form adjacent bands of difierent colors, embedding the granules into the coating, separating the excess of the differ ently"col0red granules from the excess composed of a mixture thereof, and causing said excess mixture to by-pass the supply.

7. In the method of producing composition building material, the steps comprising coating a base with a waterproof adhesive, applying differently colored granules from separate sources of supply to the coating to form adjacent bands of different colors, embedding the granules into the coating, separating the excess of the-dinerently colored granules from the excess comprising a mixture of said differently colored granules, causing said excess mixture to by-pass the supply and returning the excess of each of the different colors to an appropriate one of said sources of supply.

8. In the method of producing composition building material, the steps comprising, coating a base with a waterproof adhesive, applying from separate sources of supply granules of different colors to the coating to form adjacent bands of different colors, embedding the granules into the 

